Hi Tova
The ideas were indeed coming from *appreciative inquiry* . I use this very often, and more with smaller groups. Glad you enjoyed it. love and sunshine Carla > Met vriendelijke groet, > > drs. Carla J.P. Vliex > _______________________________________ > Organisatieadviseur > > Twynstra Gudde Management Consultants > Stationsplein 1, 3818 LE Amersfoort > Postbus 907, 3800 AX Amersfoort > Telefoon 033 4677760, Fax 033 4677479 > Mobiel 06 53927407 > E-mail c...@tg.nl, Internet www.tg.nl > > > ---------- > From: Averbuch[SMTP:averb...@post.tau.ac.il] > Reply To: OSLIST > Sent: Tuesday, 11 February, 2003 13:07 > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Subject: Re: The story of Open Space in Unicef Yugoslavia, > > Dearest Carla, > > What a beautiful story! > A delightful and creative way of combining AI (appreciative inquiry) and > OS, > thank you for writing it so vividly. > I had used these two together once but in a very simple way on my > second > OS ever: only Discovery as a bridge between OS and convergence on day two. > Your story ignites my imagination, and being some 40 OST events > older, I > am tempted to try again/ > thank you so very much > with much appreciation > Tova Averbuch > > Tova Averbuch > 34 Rabinovitz st > Holon 58672 > Israel > Tel:972-3-5523476 > Mobile:972-58-305343 > averb...@post.tau.ac.il > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > ---------------------- > > > -----Original Message----- > From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu]On Behalf Of Vliex, > Carla (cvl) > Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 1:04 PM > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Subject: The story of Open Space in Unicef Yugoslavia, > > > I had the honor of facilitating the annual retreat of Unicef in Fr > Yugoslavia. > Here is my story: > > The sponsor had a program for three days with lots and lots of stuff. She > wanted the Open Space for the topic "Unicef's future role in Yugoslavia. > And > she wanted it just for the afternoon on day 2!!! They wanted to work with > the Belbin team roles on day 1, do some presentations about the result > from > last year on the morning on day 2 and on day three they wanted to make the > programs, project and all the objectives for the next year. > > It took quit a few emails and telephone calls for changing the program. As > a > result of all the discussion they really wanted to do the Open space on > Day > 1 (future role) and do the works what needed to be done (and it was a lot) > on day 2, the start of Belbin on day 2 and the action planning on in Open > Space on day three in the morning and more Belbin to close the annual > retreat. I must admit that I was very very worried about this program. But > ... we all where.... !!!! > There was also a tension in the group between the international staff and > some of the local staff members. > > So I had some night sleep about it and we decided on : (all after lots of > beautiful and rich discussion with the sponsors (3 people of Unicef and > me, > it felt like a as if we where constant in Open space the four of us in > planning the whole). > > On day 1 we started with Discovery. We asked them to stand in a row, the > one > with the longest period of service in front and the one with the shortest > period of service in the back of the row. Than we made a row with the one > with the longest period of service in front, the one with the shortest in > the back. We divided them according to their period of service in groups > of > five persons and asked for their most lovely, funny, best, greatest story. > After some time we had a plenary and we asked each group to share one > story. > It was fun and great. > > We went on with Dream; the future role of Unicef in Yugoslavia in Open > Space. As some of the people read about Open Space, the where very serious > and very quick in posting items. The chaos on the bulletin board was > enormous, the biggest chaos I ever saw on a bulletin board. It was very > hard > for me not to interfere as people asked me over and over again to do some > clustering. I invited them to do their one clustering and after a while > things had their one way, as in Open Space things go. There where two > sessions before lunch time. During lunchtime some people where still > confused about the chaos, no pre-determined objectives and so on. > After lunch I told the story about how Open Space developed (just > mentioned > the joy of coffee breaks and the spirit of being in a circle). Just two > minutes, but it was good. > > During the afternoon, when I came back from a stroll, everybody was > gone!!!! > I went to the bulletin board and the schedules changed. Some people went > out > for skiing, some where playing cards in the pub next doors, some where in > the swimming pool etc. The really liked the butterfly role. Though I was > kind of upset, I had to let it go. As I came back; everybody was working > and > they worked very hard until nearly eight o clock that evening!!! > > > And...nobody wanted to follow the program for the next day, the wanted to > stay in Open Space.... We had a discussion about this, but the sponsor > said > that the work needed to be done in two groups with everybody present. So > we > called next day Design. I told them that Open Space is not just a > methodology but also a way of being, acting or living if you want. And > they > did it. They worked all day very hard, without butterflies and bumblebees. > So the spirit of Open Space was still there. It was amazing. > There where some complaint during the day that people felt > ignored/isolated. > We figured out that this was mostly during the social events (lunch. > diner, > drinks after, skiing at night etc.) So we made a bulletin board of the > social events. With just a few rules; sing up means show up and > bumblebees > and butterflies are welcome. > > Next day we called: Doing/desiring. They started with reading all the > reports (the report of day 2 included) I re-opened Space (thank Michael > Pannewitz for this notions about re-opening some time ago on the list) and > they where very quick again. I had only two time slots for ¾ hour for the > action planning. Some beautiful things emerged (e.g. making offices more > child friendly and: how to work on democratizing leadership within Unicef > and within Yugoslavia) > > The closing circle was odd, a couple of people where very emotional and > quite a few (local men) where very uncomfortable. As I said it was over, > nobody moved!!! It was just not over and I didn't know what to do. ... > The sponsor helped by announcing that lunch would be served in ten > minutes... > > In the afternoon we worked on Belbin for one hour and then... really self > organized, there where local musicians and local wine/spirits and then.. > just.. after singing and drinking it was over....... > > with Love and Sunshine > Carla Vliex > > > > > Met vriendelijke groet, > > > > drs. Carla J.P. Vliex > > _______________________________________ > > Organisatieadviseur > > > > Twynstra Gudde Management Consultants > > Stationsplein 1, 3818 LE Amersfoort > > Postbus 907, 3800 AX Amersfoort > > Telefoon 033 4677760, Fax 033 4677479 > > Mobiel 06 53927407 > > E-mail c...@tg.nl, Internet www.tg.nl > > > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, > Visit: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, > Visit: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
